Behind the scenes at RAMM: “boneshaker” velocipede conservation

Conservation student Rocio Gonzalez-Oyarce has been with us since October 2023. She is doing her professional practice as a requirement for her MA in Conservation of Archaeological and Museum Objects at Durham University. During Rocio’s time at RAMM she has been involved with getting objects ready for our new exhibition Are we nearly there yet? A history of transport. In this blog she tells us about a 19th century velocipede (an early type of bicycle) she has been working on.

These days, bicycles are one of the most common transport methods used by people of all ages. They have a long history of innovation that led to the current models, which started in the 19th century. The first model of “velocipede” equipped with pedals originated in France in the 1860s. This design quickly became popular in different parts of Europe. It had an iron frame, iron tyres, and wooden wheels. They gave little comfort to the rider when passing over the cobbled streets, which gave rise to the nickname “boneshaker”. UK manufacturers began making velocipedes based on the original French design, and it is likely this example was made in the UK in the late 1860s.

Assessing the condition of the “boneshaker”

This boneshaker is in fair condition. It has a lot of ingrained dust, white stains, and dirt on the wheel’s spokes. It has linear and floral decoration. they were done in red and white paint on a dark background in the iron frame. The white likely has a varnish, which has turned yellow from time and light in most areas. Similar decorations can be found on the wooden wheels.

High humidity caused the iron to rust. It formed pits that disrupted the decoration. We also see corrosion on the top and bottom of the saddle, which has lost most of the leather cover. Now, only a few torn pieces remain underneath. 

The fittings and pedals are copper alloy. They have darkened from corrosion. Some oily stains likely came from the time the velocipede was still functional. 

Historic objects can often be at risk of damage from pest activity, it looks like woodworm or similar pests have heavily affected the wheels in the past. The result is the many flight holes on the rims and spokes. The wood structure has many cracks and fissures. The paint has pealed in some areas. This was likely caused by a mix of use, abrasion, and exposure to cycles of high and low humidity. These conditions made the wood expand and contract many times. This likely led to the current state of the wheel.

The old cord connecting the handles to the brake has not survived. But the shoe brake is still in place over the rear wheel.

Conserving the “boneshaker”

This project was a long one and required many steps. First, the bicycle needed multiple rounds of cleaning with different tools and substances. We brushed the surface with a soft bristle brush and vacuumed to remove dust. Then we used erasers and soft sponges over the metal and wooden surfaces.

For the final round of cleaning, we used cotton swabs moistened in a solvent. They were rolled over the metal surface to remove as much remaining dust as possible. We tested different solvents in small areas of the decoration, as we needed to assess which one would remove the dirt but not the decoration. 

We used acetone or Stoddard solvent to remove the white stains, before removing the remaining dots with a scalpel. This was done on the back of the saddle and the head tube.

We cleaned the copper alloys with a mix of Stoddard solvent and acetone (50/50). Both are degreasers that helped remove black stains on the pedals and fittings. Some darkening remained on the alloys. This came from the metal’s natural oxidation process.

We removed the black staining from the spokes with cotton swabs moistened with deionised water, this revealed the decoration underneath. Other solvents would remove the colour from the decoration. After rolling the swabs, we applied paper towels to reduce moisture and avoid the risk of the wood swelling or mould developing.

Further steps required to conserve the “boneshaker”

Some parts of the wooden wheels were fragile. We strengthened the arear by injecting them with 5% Paraloid B67. It’s a type of polymer that helps hold the structure in place.

Afterwards, we fixed some areas with a mix of microballoons, 50% Paraloid B72 in acetone and powder pigments. We used this mixture to fill areas of loss. For example, we reshaped the end of the spoke to keep the remaining end in place. We then over-painted this area to make the repair less obvious.

We made some repairs to the leather with a special type of paper. Japanese tissue has long fibres which makes it very strong. It also has the benefit of being flexible and easy to colour with acrylic or watercolour paint. We used this paper to help reconnect the torn pieces to the main leather component. We applied it with an acrylic based glue called Lascaux hv498 and Lascaux hv303 (in the proportion 3:1).

You can see this object and explore more transport related objects in the exhibition Are we nearly there yet? From 15th June – 29th September 2024.